Earning my keep

Today was our first real day on the ground and where we truly began earning our keep.

I’d like to say I greeted the day with a smile but the inviting and refreshingly cool shower of the evening before had somehow turned into a grimace producing ice cold shower this morning. But that’s OK, as I’ve been told more than once since I arrived, this is Africa J

The power was on when I got up but apparently it only stays on from 6:00 until 7:00 in the mornings so just as I lathered up to shave the lights went out and the room went dark. Not pitch black because it was getting light outside, but just dark enough that I had to stumble around looking for the headlamp that I so carefully packed in the one place I’d be sure not to look when I needed it. But this was all just a very small bump in an otherwise extremely rewarding day.

Our driver Michael, and the local district field officer Adad, both from UCA, the Uganda Cooperative Alliance, picked us up right after breakfast and drove us the short distance to the Koboko Town Council SACCO, a Savings and Credit Cooperative, or what we would refer to as a credit union.

It’s a small office in a small rural Ugandan town. It’s hot and dusty outside and lacking many of the modern accoutrements inside that most of us – probably all of us – would absolutely insist are necessary for the running of a financial institution; electricity and modern computers just to name a few. But just like the TV advertisement at home likes to say, those people would be what we like to call, wrong. Because what they may be lacking in modern conveniences and amenities they more than make up for with perseverance and professionalism.

The board and staff of KTC SACCO provide necessary savings and loan services to rural farmers with no other access to capital. Capital sometimes needed for farm equipment but far too often needed for things we take for granted like medical expenses and schooling costs for their children.

And they do this just like any credit union at home: with a dedicated board, a professional staff and well established policies and procedures. What they were looking from us was advice. And not general, “why is the sky blue, kum buy ya, we’re a cooperative so let’s hug advice”. No, very specific advice and recommendations on a broad range of topics and real-time issues facing any credit union today, whether it’s in Summerland, Vancouver or Koboko Uganda.   

What was amazing was the juxtaposition between what we were discussing and where we were discussing it. In a small dark storeroom, in back of a rented facility with a dirt floor and the roar of a generator in the background, where we were often interrupted mid-sentence by the crowing of the resident rooster (which I have to admit only Audrey and I seemed to notice) we were grilled all day about our thoughts on capital adequacy, loan default procedures, board governance and human resources policy, just to name a few of the topics covered. And all this by board members with more combined education than most Canadian small towns.

I’m exhausted! I feel like it should have been us asking for the advice, not the other way around.  

But by the end of the day some great ideas were exchanged and Audrey and I were able to give some specific advice and concrete examples the board of KTC SACCO can now consider as they move forward to strengthen and grow their credit union. Tomorrow we do it all again but this time with the senior management and I’m already a little intimidated.

It’s getting late as I settle in for my second night at the Hotel Di’Ambiance. We’re in a secure walled compound and the hotel is full tonight but other than Audrey and I the rest of the patrons appear to be Ugandan aid workers. There are lots of 4X4 four-door Mitsubishi pickups that seem to be the vehicle of choice and lots of people in various uniforms of one sort or the other. We saw a UN truck yesterday and there lots of Red Cross teams here this evening. The generator is on but it’s been sporadic and the water isn’t running. But no worries, this is Africa J The staff already brought me a Jerry Can of cold water and they delivered a Jerry Can of hot water earlier so I’m good to go. I can work by headlamp and my memory stick thing gives me great internet so what else do I need?  

Signing off from Koboko Uganda

Cheers!
Dale

 

 

Children outside our gate this morning

 

 The loan department

 

 The Koboko Town Council SACCO

 

 The Cashiers

 

 Audrey and I answering questions

 

Some of the SACCO board

   

 

  

Koboko - the jewel in the crown!

Hello from the jewel in the crown, Koboko, Uganda.

Today was a loooooong, nine-hour drive from Kampala to Koboko in the north-west corner of the county. I can’t say anything yet about the town itself because truthfully, I don’t have a clue. We left Kamapla this morning at 8:00 and we didn’t arrive here until 5:00, and the hotel is on the outskirts of town so all I’ve seen is the inside of a compound. The road was paved for a lot of the trip but a lot of it was under construction so it was graded dusty gravel – and some of it was still paved but it VERY rough condition, which is worse than unpaved. When the pot holes threaten to swallow whole villages it’s time to hunker down and grin and bear it.

But……………. and this is what made the entire experience more than worth the price of admission – we came around a corner and on the side of the road we pulled up right next to a group of elephants! Not in a game reserve, not on a guided tour, no…..  right on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. How freak’n cool is that!

And how do you know you’re truly in Africa?
You leave a hotel in the morning that may have faded a bit with the passing years but is still a very nice business hotel the likes you’ve seen in any city. With a lounge, restaurant and uniformed staff at every corner – and nine hours later you arrive at something most recently frequented by Stanley and Livingstone. Where the water is cold, the lights are dim, the mosquito net and coal oil lamp is definitely NOT decorative, and the power is dependent on the generator that is roaring comfortably in the background ..... but the staff are just as inviting and if anything you feel even more at home.

Signing off, happy and excited from Koboko Uganda

Cheers!

 

Weary Travellers!

Greetings from the Pearl of Africa

This posting will be short and sweet because I’ve only been on the ground part of a day, and most of that was spent napping.

I flew from Phoenix to Ottawa on Thursday morning and true to form I slept very little the night before. My flight was at 6:30AM, which meant a 3:30 shuttle so needless to say I was more than a little weary on Thursday evening.

Friday was spent in orientation at the CCA offices in Ottawa and then at 4:00 we all loaded into cabs to begin the first leg of our journey. And what a journey it was; uneventful (which is always good when you’re flying) but gruelling nonetheless. Off to the Ottawa airport at 4:00, on to Toronto at 8:00 and finally flying out to London at 10:30 for a seven hour overnight flight on British Airways. But spirits were high and a stiff upper lip was had by all as we took on the necessary evil of international air travel.

We arrived into London at 10:30 AM London time and had to run to catch our connecting flight to Entebbe which again, was long but uneventful. Long story short; after approx. 16 hours in the air and more than 30 hours since starting the day on Friday we all arrived in Entebbe Uganda!

We were all exhausted but also wired and so after dumping our bags and washing up we all met in the hotel bar for a bite to eat and our first Ugandan libation. Between this and getting sorted out I didn’t get to bed until 4:00 and our down day today was much appreciated. Other than a short walk to a close-by mall to pick up a few needed things I spent most of the day napping and catching up on emails etc.  

First impressions: we’re in a really nice part of Kampala and its Sunday here so the traffic is light and it’s quite pleasant. The drive in was like driving through any number of other cities I’ve been in in developing countries although the lack of a language barrier is a little different than what I’m used to. The Ugandan’s I’ve met – and it hasn’t been many at this point – have been friendly and welcoming. I struck up conversations with strangers on the plane and today walking to the mall, and my overriding impression is the how everyone I’ve met or spoken to values education. Everyone I spoke to was either studying for something or working to save the money to go back to school. I haven’t felt threatened at all and during the day at least, I wouldn’t hesitate to walk around the local neighbourhoods.

I haven’t posted any pictures yet but if you’re interested on where I’m staying here in Kampala here’s the link;

http://speke-kampala.hotel-rn.com/index.htm?lbl=ggl

Anyway, that’s it for now. Tomorrow we’re meeting with our in-country partners and then Tuesday we head out into the field.

Cheers!

Well, it's almost time to head out on another great adventure. There's been more than a few sleepless nights of late while I went over (and over and over) packing lists and travel arrangements in my head but it's now finally almost time to leave and I'm sooooo ready.

I leave at the absolute crack of dawn tomorrow morning when the shuttle picks me up at 3:30am for a 6:30 flight to Ottawa via Toronto. Tomorrow night I'm joining the other coaches and CCA staff for a dinner out to get to know one another better and then on Friday it's a day of orientation and training to familiarize us with the different credit unions we'll be visiting in-country. And there's definitely no rest for the wicked. Right after our final meeting on Friday we're all cabbing to the Ottawa airport to start a 24 hour journey to Africa via Toronto and London with my final stop being Entebbe Uganda at 10:40pm on Saturday. It's not too bad though because Uganda is eight hours ahead of Toronto so I'll only have been up for 32 hours. Hah! Who said international travel is tough? A cakewalk - bring it on!

I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to learn and grow from the credit unions we visit and I know they'll have as much to pass on to us as we do for them. Take care and stay tuned - there's lots more to follow
Cheers
Dale

New Friends and New Adventures

It's been two years since Dexter passed on and the place he holds in our hearts will always remain. We'll never be able to replace him but that doesn't mean there isn't room in our life for another loyal loving companion. Someone to talk to when no one else will listen and who will always be there when you need them most. It turns out that Rosi and I are "dog people" and the sad fact is it's taken over two years to get to this point but now that we're here there's a gap that needs to be filled and our house needs to be a home again. (And yes, we talk to our dog in full sentences as crazy as that sounds)

Please let me introduce you to Austin, the newest addition to the Boisclair household. Austin is a four year old rescue from the Arizona Australian Shepherd Rescue Association. He lived with an elderly woman who couldn't take him when she had to move in with her daughter and he was desperately looking for a new forever home. The irony is Rosi and I actually drove over to Payson to meet the woman from the Association and to view two other potential dogs. Austin wasn't even supposed to be there. She only brought him along because he has a few behaviour issues and she thought the socialization would be good for him.

Rosi's a big believer in fate and in this case us meeting Austin must have been meant to be because it was love at first sight - in our case anyway - and the rest is history. We can't pick him up until next Monday because I'm in Dawson Creek working and his foster parents think it would be best that we're both home when he arrives so for now we're expectant Pet Parents - and we're both looking forward to Monday when our house. as nice as it is, will finally be a fur-filled home again.

And by the way, if you come for a visit, black dress pants might not be a good idea..... :-)

And now some other news....

I don't update to Facebook very often, and my blog sits idle for most of the time, but for whatever reason I like to keep a bit of a diary when I travel and this blog seems like a good way to do it. It's really more for me than anyone else but if you want to read along I'm more than happy to share my thoughts and ideas.

The Pearl of Africa.......... Uganda

In 2010 and 2011 I was fortunate to be chosen to accompany a team of credit union professionals that travelled twice to Mongolia to work with our rural credit union management counterparts over there. The trip was part of the Canadian Cooperative Association's overseas work with cooperatives abroad to fulfill their mandate to alleviate poverty through the development of the cooperative model. As some of my friends and family know it effected me greatly and more than once I've seen eyes roll and glaze over as I start telling one more story about my trip or my experience.

I'm now very pleased to say that I've been lucky enough to be accepted to join another team of credit union managers and executives traveling abroad, this time to the Pearl of Africa, Uganda. I'm leaving on January 16th on a flight that will see stops in Ottawa, Toronto and London before finally arriving at Entebbe.

I'm just old enough to remember some of Uganda's more infamous history, including Idi Amin and the famous Israeli raid so landing at Entebbe will be more than a little surreal - but I have to admit, I'm really looking forward to what I'm sure will be another fulfilling and rewarding trip. So if you're interested in one man's perspective and don't mind the odd rambling story or two, by all means check back after I leave to follow along on my next big adventure.

Cheers!

Mexican Security Situation

Hi Everyone

Just thought I should post something about the drive down vis.a.vis the security situation on the roads etc. This blog is primarily for friends and family because I'm not one to use a Facebook account but in case you came across this by searching for info about driving in Mexico I'll give you my take in things.

First though, please understand this is just my opinion. I don't know anymore about what really goes on down than the next person.

We left Nogales AZ Friday morning at 8:00am and crossed into Mexio with no issues. In fact it's a non-event. For those of you that have never done it you don't actually "clear" customes at all. You basically just drive down a narrow road with a few customes officers on each side and you get to a split where there are two lanes; one for those that have something to declare and the other for those that don't. If you take the nothing to declare lane you just drive through and wham, bam, you're in Mexico.

The first thing we noticed over our last trip down two years ago was the increased traffic. Last time there was a deserted feel to the roads and it was a bit spooky but this time the roads were all busy and there was lots of other traffic. It may be because it's the end of the Christmas /New Year holiday and a lot of families were heading home but it was definitly busier.

The next thing we noticed was a significant increase in a police presence. And by this I mean a huge increase. We saw numerous checkpoints and lots of high-profile patrols. And if you think Mexican police aren’t intimidating you haven’t pulled into a gas station and stopped next to three large one-ton pickups that have been retro fitted with machine gun turrets and are full of very large Mexican Federale’s, all wearing blacked-out full combat/riot gear, all with balaclava’s and toting machine guns. These guys mean business and aren’t to be trifled with. But..... rather than scarring us it gave us a huge sense of comfort! No one bothered us and it was great to know the government is taking the situation seriously.


So, long story short.... we spent a long day on Friday and a half-day yesterday, driving the 1,100 klm from the border to Mazatlan and it was completely uneventful. No security issues at all and no problems of any kind. It’s divided highway almost the entire way, which ranged from really crappy, to less crappy and to OK – with a few Autopista stretches thrown in that are really quite good. The tolls add up though; $35CAN on Friday and another $30CAN yesterday. The alternative though, is taking the free roads which are a LOT slower and in much poorer condition.

So there you have it. We’re now in Mazatlan in a condo overlooking the ocean and our little SUV is securely parked in the parking lot waiting to be loaded with Mexican treasures we hope to buy over the next few days.

Adios Mi Amigos

Dale

Greetings from sunny Dawson Creek

Hi All
I'm back in Dawson Creek but not for long. For those of you that don't know me I do consulting work for credit unions and I've had a contract to assist a credit union here in BC's north off and on for almost two years. I arrived a week ago Monday and I'm leaving after work tomorrow. I fly home on Thursday and by Friday afternoon we plan on hitting the road South. It'll be a welcome change since here it's -20C!

We bought a townhouse in Gold Canyon AZ  last February but it was late in our stay and we were only able to enjoy it for a week before we had to head home. Since then it seems like ages since we were there. The unit was unfurnished when we bought it so other than a bed it's pretty much empty. We're not much for marathon driving trips so it'll take us at least three days to drive down but we're really looking forward to the trip because we'll finally get to start furnishing and decorating it the way we like. We'll be in AZ for four months and I have to fly back and forth at least five times for work but I should still have lots of time for some great rides on the motorcycle I have down there and at least one road trip to Mexico.

We're driving  to Mazatlan in January to stay for a week to do some shopping. Our plan is to buy as much of the art and decorating pieces for our new place as we can. And here where my absolute cheap side comes out. For anyone that's done it you'll know how unpleasant timeshare presentations are. They can be high-pressure and time consuming, and to the uninitiated or naive, they often result in unwanted poorly thought out purchases. But....... for someone that likes the thrill of the hunt and looks at it as a battle of wits, it can be a lucrative endeavour. Two years ago on a whim I went to a presentation and after 2 1/2 hours of repeated no's I left - but with $400US cash  for my time. What? $400? Sign me up! I was able to go to four more before they caught on and it dried up. $2,000 in total over two weeks - and I was there for two months so it's not like I had anything better to do those mornings :-) So that's the plan for this trip down. It's not a vacation, I'm looking at it as a business trip. Time share presentations in the morning and shopping in the afternoon, and if I'm right, the whole thing will be paid for by someone else.

So only three more sleeps and we'll be on our way south where we'll do our part to support the American economy.

Cheers!
dale